Sulfite Poses a Risk of Hexavalent Chromium Rebound in Vadose Zone: A Challenge of the Stability of Cr_xFe_1–x(OH)₃

Abstract

Cr(VI) rebound is the primary risk associated with the reduction remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated soil. The potential impact of sulfites, which can be produced by microbial activities or originate from sulfur-containing remediation agents, on the Cr(VI) rebound in the vadose zone has been overlooked. When sulfites are present, the stability of Cr x Fe 1−x (OH) 3 is compromised and significantly inferior to that of Cr(OH) 3 , as demonstrated in this paper. First, Fe acts as a catalyst for the conversion of adsorbed sulfite to SO 4•− , which subsequently triggers the oxidation of Cr(III) and results in the rebound of Cr(VI). The heterogeneous catalysis by Fe on the surface of Cr x Fe 1−x (OH) 3 plays a predominant role, contributing to 78% of the actual oxidation of Cr(III) among all employed catalytic processes. The presence of ambient Cl − can exacerbate the rebound effect of Cr(VI) by promoting the generation of HOCl. Furthermore, a portion of released Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) by dissolved sulfite in the presence of dissolved Fe as a catalyst, thereby increasing the dissolution and migration risk associated with Cr x Fe 1−x (OH) 3 . Hence, the presence of sulfites results in a significant increase in the Cr(VI) rebound and Cr(III) release from Cr x Fe 1−x (OH) 3 . This challenges the conventional understanding of the stability of Cr x Fe 1−x (OH) 3 .